About David A. NewMyer Expertise Can advise people thinking about beginning and aviation career and espcially those thinking about an aviation university program. Can also help with aviation scholarship questions. I am particularly strong in questions related to starting a flight career, choosing a university flight or aviation management program, aviation internships and aviation scholarships. Also, I can assist with questions about airport management and planning careers and oveall aviation industry employment questions.
Experience
Past/Present Clients Prepared In addition to aviation education, I work at a major university, I have worked as an airport planner preparing airport system plans, airport master plan and environmental assessment reports for the Chicago area in general and for several
individual Illinois airports.
Question I want to fly for the military. Preferably the Marine Corps
or Navy but any branch would be alright as long as I would
be pilot in command. I was wondering how many flying
positions are given to ROTC cadets vs. Naval Academy
graduates and what my chances would be at getting a flying
position at each. I am going into my junior year at a very
good preperatory school, i have a 3.83 gpa, and play a
varsity sport.
Answer Hi, Alex:
Thanks for your questions, I will try to assist!
First of all, obtaining a flying slot or position in the Marine Corps or Navy (or any other military service) is a fairly involved process. By that I mean that, to apply to a military academy such as the Naval
Academy, you normally have to go through a Congressional appointment process via your local Congressman. An ROTC slot is normally less selective.....that is a process handled by each ROTC unit. So, in this instance, your first job is to find a Navy ROTC unit or a Marine Corps "Platoon Leaders Corps or PLC Program." Then, once you find that, apply to those respective schools.
Second, when going to college in general or to one of the academies, the services tend to favor engineering and aviation-oriented students for flight slots. Not in every case, but, just in general. Aviation oriented college and university programs are listed in THE COLLEGIATE AVIATION GUIDE published by the University Aviation Association (www.uaa.aero ).
Third, as far as flying positions offered via the academies vs. the ROTC units, that depends on the needs of each service at the time that you are graduating from college. So, this number goes up and down over time. The Air Force ROTC unit at the university where I work had very few flight slots in the mid-1990s due to the wind-down of the US military after the first Gulf War. But, ten years later, they had more flight slots to give out. So, it is all about timing. But, that is something that you can ask of an ROTC unit and, for the most part, they will be forthcoming about what sort of luck that they have had with flight slots over time.
So, what I would do is contact your local Congressman about the possiblity of a military academy appointment (and what process they use to identify candidates for these appointments). In the meantime, I would think about what sort of major subject that you want to study while you are in college and then, once you know that, match that subject up with schools that also have ROTC programs. I would identify universities that have more than one ROTC unit (different military services) so that you can have a choice. Then, visit those schools, talk to the ROTC units and the representatives of the major that you want to study and apply to those schools that interest you the most.
I wish you the best of luck in your college or military academy choice!
Sincerely,
David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale http://www.aviation.siu.edu
